By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos By Matt Johnson
Outdoor entertaining season is here, and according to Ben Palmer-Ball, creating a beautiful patio setup does not require replacing everything you already own. For this styled outdoor feature at Cindy Carcione’s home, the team at Digs Home & Garden demonstrated how a few thoughtful updates like layered linens, rechargeable lanterns (which not only look gorgeous, but come in handy after losing power to a spring or summer storm), florals, and bold seasonal accents can completely refresh an existing outdoor space. Even better, much of Cindy’s patio furniture was purchased from Digs years ago, proving that quality pieces can evolve beautifully over time with the right styling. We caught up with Palmer-Ball to talk about outdoor entertaining trends, effortless upgrades, and how to create a patio guests actually want to linger in all summer long. Special thanks to Cindy Carcione for graciously allowing us to feature her beautiful outdoor space for this spread.
Digs has such a distinctive mix of indoor and outdoor style. What’s your personal philosophy when it comes to creating outdoor spaces people actually want to spend time in?
I readily acknowledge that most people collect and inherit furniture and accessories over time, and the design challenge is to take different styles, textures, and colors and create an environment that feels coordinated and reflective of the client’s life and style. Some folks feel more at ease with everything matching – and that is an easy, straightforward solution. I personally enjoy the challenge of mixing things up. That is evident in our showroom, where the variety within our family of vendors enables us to mix and match to demonstrate that approach.
When someone is getting their patio or backyard ready for entertaining, what’s the first thing you think they should focus on?
I’d say the first thing to consider for entertaining is how to structure your space to facilitate your event. Don’t let your everyday arrangement limit how you entertain — try rearranging to accommodate more guests or different functions. If it’s a dinner party or cookout, you will want to think about how you’re going to prepare, serve, and seat your company. Maybe you need to move furniture around to facilitate a logical circulation and flow. If it’s a cocktail party, maybe you need to pay more attention to creating smaller spaces or furniture groupings that are conducive to conversation and relaxing. If it’s a large gathering, you may need to plan for additional seating or dining opportunities with furniture from inside your home (there’s no problem with bringing indoor furniture outside to meet your needs!).
What are a few easy upgrades that can instantly make an outdoor gathering feel more thoughtful or elevated?
For entertaining, I am an advocate for using linens and serving ware from inside your home for outdoor events – if the weather is cooperating, of course. For those concerned about durability, we offer a wide variety of stylish outdoor-friendly melamine plates and acrylic glassware in the showroom. Many of our customers even find that these outdoor-friendly dishes are a great alternative for indoor use with growing families.
Another essential for me would be flower arrangements – not always an over-the-top centerpiece, but maybe some smaller arrangements that repeat along the length of a table or are grouped on an end table or sideboard. And don’t forget candles or lanterns for lighting and ambiance.
Louisville has such a great entertaining culture, especially in spring and summer. Have you noticed local homeowners approaching outdoor living differently over the years?
Our community tends to reflect strong Southern traditions and roots when it comes to entertaining – linens, flowers, food, and candlelight. But we’ve also seen how technology has made its way into our entertaining culture. There’s been a notable increase in popularity with rechargeable lamps and lighting, battery or rechargeable candles, durable/unbreakable dinnerware, and weather-resistant fabrics for pillows, seating, and tabletop linens.
What’s one outdoor entertaining essential you think every host should invest in?
My idea of entertaining essential(s) would probably be dependent on the occasion – but my favorite piece right now is a bar cart/trolley or console table. Having a furniture piece that can serve as a bar where guests can serve themselves frees up more time for the host to visit and enjoy the event as well. If that console table or bar cart has a lower shelf, all the better to provide storage space for additional glassware or dinnerware.
As a business owner, what’s been the most rewarding part of building Digs into a local destination for home and garden inspiration?
I take great satisfaction in providing inspiration and ideas for our customers. Listening to folks coming through the store motivates me to look at things with a different perspective than I might have envisioned. I enjoy looking at trends and making market trips to see new products and ideas and then process those things through a Louisville filter to create a unique experience in the store. With so much online competition, we strive to create something unique and attuned to our customers and community.
Can you share a bit about the pieces you chose for Cindy’s patio?
Our client selected a traditional fabric pattern to unify different furniture vendors and styles, featuring bold black and white striped Sunbrella fabric. I envisioned styling a Memorial Day or Independence Day gathering with bold red, white, and blue accents in flowers, linens, and dinnerware. A dining table with an umbrella rules out a showy centerpiece, so we featured a couple of large lanterns and smaller floral accents along the length of the table. In keeping with our ‘mix and match’ philosophy, we featured linens and glassware in different patterns and colors to provide visual interest and a casual vibe.
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